Arnold Scharzenegger claimed that his late mother-in-law once commissioned a report documenting the effects of anabolic steroids on fertility. Eunice Shriver, the mother of Maria Shriver, was so concerned about her daughter not being pregnant after almost three years of marriage to the champion bodybuilder, that she presented her daughter with a “scientific briefing” on the side effects of steroids with particular emphasis on the effect on fertility. The revelations were made in Scharzenegger’s soon-to-be released autobiography according to the New York Daily News.

“I just happened to see the report on Maria’s desk, so I read it, and I was laughing my head off,” wrote Schwarzenegger.

“Your mother is out of control,” he recalled telling his wife.

Schwarzenegger’s 624-page memoir is entitled “Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story”. The autobiography was co-written with Peter Petre and is scheduled to be released on October 1, 2012.

Eunice’s concerns about the dangers of steroids were clearly overblown as Schwarzenegger proved when he later fathered four children with Maria over the subsequent decade and another child as the result of an extramarital affair.

Anabolic steroids are known to have an effect on fertility since the introduction of the drugs suppresses the natural production of testosterone in the human body. The resulting anabolic steroids induced hypogonadism (ASIH) can significantly affect fertility in some, but not all, steroid users. The effects are usually temporary with fertility returning to normal relatively shortly after the discontinuation of steroids and the recovery of natural testosterone production.

Schwarzenegger’s autobiography includes admissions that he used anabolic steroids during his career as a competitive bodybuilder. Schwarzenegger won the 1968 NABBA Mr. Universe in his professional bodybuilding debut. He won the IFBB Mr. Olympia contest, the “super bowl” of pro bodybuilding competitions, a then-record five times beginning in 1975.

Schwarzenegger has previously made reference to his use of steroids in bodybuilding. But has provided very few details. It remains to be seen if Schwarzenegger has decided to elaborate on the role steroids played in creating his physique in his new autobiography.